THIS paper presents a chronological survey of the development of plastics in this Country; outlines the special properties which characterize each material; and recounts the important uses which have been made of these various plastic materials in the automobile and the airplane.
Of the five plastics developed before 1925 - pyroxylin or cellulose-nitrate, shellac, bitumen or cold-molded, phenolic, and casein - Dr. Kline shows that only one forged ahead to new records of production and application during the next 15 years. More than twice that many new plastics had appeared and more than five times the quantity of plastics were being produced at the end of this period, 1940, he brings out. Cellulose acetate, he points out, is now employed in practically every make of car, and more than 200 parts are made of it. Despite these vast gains in the volume of plastics used by the automotive industry, he asserts that there has been little extension in the automotive applications of plastics since 1925. He believes that plastic fenders and a molded body still remain as the greatest prospective field for the extension of the use of plastics in the automobile.
The paper is featured by summaries that tabulate specific information about each plastic discussed, enumerating outstanding properties, forms available, method of fabrication, typical applications, and trade names and manufacturers.